Canadian pilgrims from South-western Ontario, gathered in a remote rural parish last weekend to study their faith, grow together as a group, and consecrate themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary prior to their journey to Sydney for WYD08.

130 young people from across Canada, who heard the call three years ago to “go and grow” in Sydney, make up the group.

Shepherded by six priests and four nuns, the young people have enthusiastically attended three retreats or "summits", which has allowed for faith sharing and group building.

"It was always our hope," says Fr. Ross Bartley, the group registrar, "to provide these young people with a real encounter with Christ, through his Holy Mother.  You can imagine our delight when we could no longer accommodate the number of young people who wanted to join us." 

Taking the gospel passage according to St. Luke, which recounts the visitation of the Blessed Mother to St. Elizabeth, the leaders of Joyful Visitation who are coming to WYD under the group name of “Stella Orientes” endeavoured to combine a service project with the celebration of World Youth Day. 

"We wanted to go and spend our World Youth Day graces, right away [just as] Our Lady did not hesitate to go and serve her cousin," says Sr. Elizabeth Marie, a sister of Our Lady Immaculate from Cambridge, Canada.

Despite complications and obstacles when trying to organise the service project, the spirit of the young people encouraged the leaders to keep finding a solution.  Finally, through the help of facebook.com, the leaders found the assistance of Ms. Mimi Chen in Sydney, who put in motion the desired project among the poor in Fiji.

“On the Monday after WYD, they’ll leave Sydney to spend seven days in Fiji to help at a school for the disabled, at nursing homes and help out at the local hospitals,” says Mimi Chen, coordinator of the Fiji Service Project for members of the Joyful Visitation.

“They approached me to help them, because after being in Sydney for WYD they want to go to Fiji to spread the WYD spirit to give back to the local people who might not have been able to attend WYD from third world countries.”

"Also because they are from the northern hemisphere, they thought it would be good to add to their WYD experience through service to the people of the south pacific."

The last retreat before departing for Sydney was attended by almost all the pilgrims from the province of Ontario.  Those from outside the province joined in a consecration to Mary on the Feast of the Visitation, May 31st.  Following the 'DeMontfort' method, the pilgrims sought the maternal intercession and inspiration of Mary, to bring them to Jesus in Sydney.

The Stella Orientes WYD group will arrive in Sydney on 9 July in time to attend the Days in the Diocese in Armidale.

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